"Yes; you need not feel about for the little box. I took it from its hiding-place when I laid you fainting on the bed. Here it is."
He drew it from his pocket and showed it to her. She hardly glanced at it; her eyes were fixed in terror on his face and her lips seemed to be trying in vain to formulate some inquiry.
He tried to be merciful.
"I missed it many hours ago, from the shelf yonder where you all saw me place it. Had I known that you had taken it, I would have repeated to you how deadly were the contents, and how dangerous it was to handle the vial or to let others handle it, much less to put it to the lips."
She started and instinctively her form rose to its full height.
"Have you looked in that little box since you took it from my hair?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Then you know it to be empty."
For answer he pressed the spring, and the little lid flew open.
"It is not empty now, you see." Then more slowly and with infinite meaning, "But the little flask is."